Pittsburgh Pirates Set To Play Final Two Exhibition Games

In three days, the Pittsburgh Pirates will open their 2017 regular season. They will open the season with a three-game series at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. However, they will first travel to Montreal.

In Montreal this weekend, the Pirates will play two exhibition games against the Toronto Blue Jays. These games will be the team’s final tuneup before the regular season. They will also be Clint Hurdle‘s last chance to set his Opening Day roster.

Tonight, Jameson Taillon will take the ball for the Pittsburgh Pirates. This will be his final warmup before be makes his first start of the regular season on Wednesday in Boston. World Baseball Classic star Marcus Stroman will make the start for the Blue Jays.

Tomorrow afternoon, Chad Kuhl will make the start for the Bucs. He will be opposed by former Pirate Francisco Liriano.

Tyler Glasnow will also pitch for the Pirates on Saturday. Glasnow is currently competing with Trevor Williams for the final spot in the Pirate rotation. This makes Saturday Glasnow’s last chance to impress the Pirate brass and win a job in the starting rotation.

Left fielder Gregory Polanco will not make the trip to Montreal with the team. This is due to a passport issue. Instead, Polanco will play in minor league games at Pirate City this weekend. Barring a setback, Polanco should be ready for Opening Day on Monday.

You can also expect to see A.J. Schugel, Tyler Webb, and Wade LeBlanc all pitch this weekend. These three remain in competition for the final two spots in the bullpen.

Alen Hanson, Jose Osuna, and Phil Gosselin remain in competition for the final two bench spots. Therefore, Pirate fans should see plenty of these three players this weekend as well.

It should be a fun weekend in Montreal. The city of Montreal is one that is baseball starved and huge crowds are expected this weekend. This should create a very fun atmosphere at Olympic Stadium.

Next: Predicting The Opening Day Roster

Tonight’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:07 PM. Tomorrow’s is scheduled for 1:07 PM. Both games can be heard on the Pirates’ Radio Network, while Saturday’s will also be broadcasted on the MLB Network.

On Sunday, the Pirates will hold a team workout at Fenway Park at 3 PM. Additionally, Ivan Nova will pitch in a minor league game at Pirate City. This will be his final tuneup before making his 2017 regular season debut in the Pirate home opener one week from today.